CANNES 2021: Invisible Demons
festival de cannes 2021The modern-day climate crisis is one most hear about but ultimately don't see. It is this misplaced idea – even internally – of a distance between the world and the individuals inhabiting it, which leads to a lack of legitimate action. Screening as part of the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, Rahul Jain's Invisible Demons looks to expose audiences around the globe to just how serious the changing climate and state of pollution is for many. Continuing Jain's history of bringing the everyday struggles of India to the greater globe, the film looks at how pollution and climate change have changed the way of life in the large city of Delhi and nearby areas.
Invisible Demons is not just important but rather haunting. Seeing the actual physical results of these issues forces a tragic acceptance of the damage humans have caused the earth. Even if change was being made on a large scale right now – which it isn't – the damage has been done. It is shocking to see rivers once used for drinking to be filled with enough trash to make it look covered in snow or see the destruction of a village that has to deal with increased flooding due to climate change. It is a needed, tangible capturing of these events that will be the tool some audiences need to motivate themselves to push for change.
What is also quite shocking within the feature is how quickly this is happening. The river polluted with trash was used for drinking only decades ago, with individuals still alive who can recall the ways of the old. It is terrifying to see just how much damage can be done in a short amount of time and, naturally, audiences will find themselves pondering what their own world could look like decades from now. While this is nothing new and projections of things, such as rising sea levels, are rather mainstream at this point, seeing it as a reality adds a new seriousness to the threat. While this might not lead to a fun viewing experience, ultimately it shouldn't be one.
This power mainly, however, comes from the projection of these fears by the audience itself. Looking at the film in a vacuum, it actually does rather little to expand on these impactful emotions or built its own deep thesis. The film is a raw exposure to these events but nothing really more than that. While the viewing experience still is powerful and worthwhile, it does feel like there was room for a more focused and crafted message to truly elevate the film to masterpiece level. Still, Invisible Demons is an overall haunting feature that accomplishes everything it sets out to do and really helps establish Rahul Jain as a key documentary filmmaker of the modern generation.
